7 Waray-Waray gang members nabbed in Rizal

At least seven members of the dreaded “Waray-Waray” robbery gang, including their alleged leader, were arrested Monday inside a cemetery in Antipolo City.

Police said the arrest of the gangmen came after months of surveillance operation amid reports that they were behind the rash of robbery cases in Antipolo City, including the sale of illegal drugs.

Those arrested were Vicente Lizarondo, 53, the alleged gang leader and his henchmen- Jaime Feleciano, 23; Wilfredo Gamba, 38; Alex Batucan, 21; Darwin Barraza, 23; Rommel Barraza, 28, and Serafin Sadia, 28. They were all natives of Jaro, Leyte and residing at Barangay San Isidro.

The Rizal police said the suspects were involved in the rash of highway robberies, extortion, “Akyat-Bahay” and the sale of illegal drugs.

“They were put under monitoring and surveillance because of the rash of robbery cases in Rizal province.

They also turned out to be involved in the sale of illegal drugs,” a police official said.

The suspects were rounded up while burying a departed relative at a cemetery in Sitio Cabading in Barangay San Jose at about 11 a.m.

The 10-man raiders said that the suspects did not resist arrest.

Police said the suspects yielded at least 10 sachets of shabu when frisked.

Three members of the gang were killed in an alleged shootout with policemen after they robbed an employee in Angono town last month.

In other developments, three more members of the Waray-Waray gang was tagged as responsible in a series of robberies in Calabarzon were killed in a 10-minute bloody encounter at the Laguna Hills Subdivision, Monday past midnight.

Operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group launched a manhunt operation against two other members who immediately escaped when they sensed the presence of the police.

Killed on the spot were Romeo Valora, 35, resident of Barangay Malamig, Biñan, Laguna and  George Villamor of Barangay Bucal, Calamba City, while Reynaldo Ibarra, 46, of Marulas, Valenzuela City was declared dead on arrival at the JP Rizal Hospital.

Senior Superintendent Mark Edison Belarma, chief of the CIDG4A, said the gang was also involved in kidnapping and gun-for-hire activities operating in Calabarzon, particularly in Laguna and Rizal.

According to reports, a phone call was received by the CIDG office from a resident of Laguna Hills Subdivision about a suspicious-looking taxi marked Munich Taxi Co. (TWG-524) that was parked in a dimly-lit portion inside the village around 12:30 a.m. 

CIDG elements headed by Superintendent Leo Quevedo immediately responded on the call but they were fired upon by the suspects when they were about to check on the vehicle.  

That prompted the lawmen to retaliate killing Valora and Villamor on the spot. Ibarra died while being treated at JP Rizal Hospital in Calamba City.  

Recovered from the suspects were one hand grenade, two pieces of .38 caliber  revolver, one bolt cutter and a location map of the subdivision that they apparently will use in their operation.  – With Ed Amoroso, Arnell Ozaeta